About Dezel

Some people write poetry, I sip it. Engineer by the day based in NOVA who writes and tweets about the appreciation, education, and enjoyment of wine. I also enjoy taking pictures of things I find beautiful and
listening to 80's metal. Thank you for visiting and please come back again soon.

8/27/2012

Today’s ‘Quick Sip’ is the Jefferson Vineyard's 2010 Cabernet Franc. For me, moving to Virginia from the west coast late in 2003 had its perks. I wasn’t into wine back then nor did I have any idea that Virginia produced wine, but I had an interest in political history and four of the first five Presidents of the United States were from Virginia. If you think presidential elections are offensive nowadays, check out the election of 1800 (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams) and 1828 (Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams). Whilst bad news traveled slow back then, there was some serious, below-the-belt (morals, ugly rumors, mistresses, etc.) mudslinging going on. In 2005, during a tour of Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's abode), someone on the tour recommended we visit Jefferson Vineyards (a short distance away). For many people, White Zinfandel and [unfortunately] Boone’s Farm are their introduction into the world of wine. I like to think I started off on higher ground with Virginia wine. I didn’t know Merlot was a red wine or how to pronounce Viognier back then, but after ending that Monticello trip with visits to First Colony and Kluge Estate (now Trump Winery), I found myself a new hobby and it has been a grape journey since.

Jefferson Vineyard's 2010 Cabernet Franc

Several weeks ago, while visiting Total Wine, I picked up a few bottles of Jefferson Vineyard’s 2010 Cabernet Franc for $18 per bottle. The wine is blended with 10% Tannat and 6% Lemberger and was one of the 12 wines selected to the 2012 Governor's Cup Case (the top 12 scoring wines of the statewide competition) this spring. The medium ruby-colored 2010 Cabernet Franc is a relatively easy-drinking, smooth-textured example with soft acidity and a [sweet] black cherry and plum core interwoven with spice, subtle earth tones and underlying woodsy notes that give way to a medium-length spicy finish. I paired it with a wasabi-crusted meatloaf dish and enjoyed the remainder on its own. For under $20, in my opinion, this is a wine well worth checking out and enjoying now or over the next two years. As for the vintage [2010], it's one that produced better overall reds than whites (remember the extreme heat and dryness early on). If you fancy wine and history and have a few days to spare, I highly recommend exploring the Monticello Wine Trail. Fall is right around the corner and is a beautiful time of year to visit the area’s tasting rooms, downtown mall, and restaurants. Cheers!